Novel Squares
Chapter 96
Iexpected Lau and Han –
But Xi, Gota, and half a dozen of their men rushed to the open doorway, too.
Everyone but Lau was brandishing a gun –
And all of those guns were pointed at me.
I intentionally left the Smith & Wesson on the desk. I didn’t want to give them a reason to open fire.
“You,” Lau seethed the instant he saw me. I had never seen such rage and malevolence on his face before.
I held up the detonator in my hand so everyone could see the green light. “Before anyone makes any rash decisions, there are two things you should know.”
“What the fuck is that?!” Gota snarled.
“A detonator for a block of C4, set to a dead man’s switch,” I said.
Lau looked over at the desk where Mei-ling was peeking out.
If looks could kill, she would have been incinerated.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.
“That’s right – she didn’t tell you everything I bought on the black market,” I said, unable to keep myself from gloating just a tiny bit. “If any of you shoot me, I’ll let go of this detonator, the C4 will explode, and we’ll all die together.”
“You’re bluffing,” Gota sneered.
I looked at Gota, but I said, “Mr. Han?”
There was a long pause…
And then Han said quietly, “He doesn’t bluff.”
So he did remember our night at the casino.
Gota’s face went slack with shock.
Most of the lower-level gangsters looked like they were about to shit their pants.
Han scowled –
But Lau?
Lau smirked like he was amused.
“You said I should know two things,” he said. “What is the second?”
“I just transferred 250 million dollars’ worth of Bitcoin from the Syndicate’s account to one of my own.”
Lau’s smirk quickly faded.
“So if you shoot me,” I continued, “not only will you die, but you’ll never get your money back. Although I suppose you won’t really care, since you’ll be dead.”
Lau’s emotions pivoted back to rage. “You STOLE from me?!”
“Borrowed.”
“Oh, and you’ll just willingly give it back!” the old man snarled sarcastically.
“Yes, I will. Minus the 50 million that’s mine.”
Lau’s eyes widened. “That’s what this is about?!”
“That’s what this has always been about.”
Lau laughed – more in disbelief than amusement. “Why should I believe you?”
“For the same reason you didn’t kill me when my uncle tried to bribe you: I don’t need more enemies. I certainly don’t want a war with you, the triads, and the Yakuza, especially while we’re fighting my uncle.
“Which is why… if you give me and Mei-ling safe passage to the airport, and allow us to return to Italy… you’ll receive all 200 million dollars back. I swear it on my family’s lives.”
At the mention of her name, Lau glared at Mei-ling behind the desk.
He said something vicious in Cantonese, and she shouted back at him.
Han swung his pistol in her direction –
“Point your gun at me,” I warned. “If anyone harms her in any way, I’ll kill all of you.”
“You’ll kill her, too,” Han pointed out.
“She told me that if we didn’t succeed, she wanted to die – ”
I looked at Lau.
“ – because what you would do to her would be worse. ”
The old man didn’t contradict me, which I took as confirmation.
“Both Mei-ling and I are happy to go out in a blaze of glory and take all of you with us. So – all guns on me.”
Han reluctantly pointed his pistol back in my direction.
But there was at least one person who wasn’t convinced.
“That means you’ll die, too,” Gota said.
“That’s correct.”
The Yakuza boss gave me a you’re-full-of-shit smile. “You won’t do it.”
“If all of you die, no one will ever know where the Bitcoin went. The Syndicate’s accountants will just know it got transferred out, but they’ll never be able to retrieve it.”
“But you’ll be DEAD!” Gota roared, like I was an idiot for not seeing the flaw in my plan.
“And I will have secured a 400% profit for my family. I’d say that’s an excellent return on investment.”
Gota shook his head in disbelief. “You would die so your brothers can be rich?”
“So they can survive and win the war against my uncle?” I paused, then smiled. “Yes. Absolutely.”
“I don’t believe you,” Gota sneered –
And aimed his gun at my head.
“Here,” I replied. “Let me make it easier for you.”
I slowly walked around the desk…
Holding up the detonator so everyone could see it…
And pressed my forehead against the barrel of Gota’s gun.
I stared into his eyes as I said, “If you’re so confident… pull the trigger.”
Gota stared at me like I was absolutely insane.
“You called me a half-breed yesterday,” I said coldly. “Do you remember?”
Gota swallowed hard. “Yes.”
I gave him a chilling smile. “You were right. The Florentine banker in me tried to play nice… but you’re dealing with the Sicilian half now.”